Polynesia

Polynesia is the name under which a gigantic area of ​​our planet is included in Oceania. However, in a broad sense, it ranges from Hawaii to Easter Island. In total, it is a question of numerous archipelagos distributed by the Pacific Ocean belonging to different countries.

Among the independents are Samoa, Tuvalu, New Zealand, Kirivati o Tonga. For their part, other islands belong to United States like those of Hawaii, to French as the call French Polynesia or United Kingdom as pitcairn islands. But all these places share an ancient culture, wonderful landscapes and paradisiacal beaches. If you want to know more about Polynesia, we encourage you to continue reading.

What to see and do in Polynesia

It would be impossible for us to explain to you in a single article everything you can do in Polynesia given its gigantic size and diversity. For this reason, we will focus on some of its most beautiful places that are also best adapted to receive you as a traveler.

Hawaii, western gateway to Polynesia

Just to tell you about all that Hawaii has to offer, we would need more than one article. Because it is made up of nine islands, several islets and also atolls. Oahu is the one that houses the state capital, Honolulu, and also where the legendary Pearl Harbor naval base is. Is, Diamond head and the waikiki beach are its best known places. But you can also visit landscapes as spectacular as the Amy BH Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden.

Moreover, KauaiKnown as «Garden island»It is the southernmost of the archipelago and also one of the most beautiful. With a green and exuberant nature, places such as the Na Pali coast, with its impressive cliffs, or the Waimea Grand Canyon.

Also Maui It is a must see in Hawaii. Like the previous ones, this island offers you landscapes of all kinds. But its spectacular beaches stand out. And, above all, the popular road to Hana, about a hundred kilometers that run through its northwestern part, crossing waterfalls, rivers, bridges and cliffs. Nor should you miss Maui sunrise over the Haleakala volcano, with impressive golden tones.

Finally, the fourth island that you must visit is the one called, precisely Big Island. Maybe it reminds you something of Lanzarote. Because the Volcanoes National Park, with the Kilauea, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, some of which still expel lava flows.

Cook Islands, pure Polynesian essence

This archipelago, a state associated with New Zealand, includes islands scattered over two million square kilometers in the South Pacific Ocean, which will give you an idea of ​​everything it offers you.

Rarotonga houses the capital, whose name is Avarua, and you will find in it a modern and western atmosphere. However, it also offers you the essence of Polynesia in places like the Punanga Nui market, where ukuleles, sarongs and typical gastronomy abound. For example, marinated raw fish or ika kills and steamed taro leaves or rukau.

The second most touristic island of the Cook is Aituaki, also one of the most beautiful with its interior lagoon surrounded by coral reefs and paradisiacal beaches. atiu It is also surrounded by reefs, but you can also descend on it to the impressive Anatakitaki cave and observe strange birds.

For its part, the island of Muri it is perfect for scuba diving in areas like Black Rock or Matavera. Y caress It is the most spectacular of all, since its orography is made up of a coral ring with two levels that conceal a gigantic volcanic caldera at the foot of the Rangimotia massif.

Las Marianas, former Spanish possession

Not everyone knows that this archipelago belonged to Spain until the end of the XNUMXth century. Therefore, it has more than one surprise in store for you. For example, him Chamorro language, with great similarities to Spanish. In fact, its own name is "Mariano".

The most beautiful of the Marianas may be Rota, Also called "The peaceful island" for its territory full of small farms and nature. But more famous is Saipan, where the Gruta, a huge underwater limestone cavity that fascinates divers from all over the world. Instead, Tinian It also offers you natural wonders but also many abandoned WWII military installations.

The South Marianas have as their pole of attraction the island of Guam. It is home to wonders such as the natural reserve of Ritidian Point, with its spectacular beach, and talofofo falls. Without forgetting the cosmopolitanism of Tumon Bay nor the impressive open-air museum that constitutes the Pacific War National Historical Park.

The capital of Guam is Cheat, where you have more Hispanic vestiges like the Cathedral Basilica of the Sweet Name of Mary, which is located, precisely, next to the Plaza de España. But its most populous city is Finger, located on the coral plateau in the north of the island.

Kiribati, the republic that starts the year

Located northeast of Australia, is an independent country made up of several groups of islands and atolls. Among the first are Tarawa y the Gilbert, Ellice, La Línea and Fénix archipelagos. Regarding the seconds, Kiritimati or christmas island It is the first place on the planet to celebrate the new year and a true place of worship for divers and fishermen.

Kiribati is possibly one of the places in Polynesia that has best preserved the traditional life. Its population lives mainly in wooden huts and feeds on coconuts, breadfruit and fish. You can see it, especially if you visit the most remote islands.

The capital of this curious country is in South Tarawa, formed as an arm of land between the Pacific Ocean and the interior lagoon. His name is Both, although the most important town is Bairiki, where is the parliament.

French Polynesia, a magnet for tourism

Despite everything that we have explained to you, perhaps the area of ​​this area best known by international tourism is called French Polynesia. It is made up of one hundred and eighteen islands and several atolls that are grouped into five archipelagos. But we are going to show you the most interesting ones.

Tahiti and the Society Islands

Tahiti is a must see if you are traveling to French Polynesia. It is the largest island in the Society archipelago, which in turn is divided into the islands of Barlovento and Sotavento. To the first belong, in addition to Tahiti itself, Tetiaroa o Moorea, while the latter comprise huaine, tupai or, the best known for its tourist importance, Bora Bora.

Precisely the latter is much more visited than Tahiti, frequently relegated to a place of passage. However, this is a serious mistake. We advise you to spend a few days getting to know Tahiti because it has a lot to offer you.

Its capital is Papeete, where you can visit the cathedral and, above all, its markets. Among the latter, it is very curious the one with the pearls. But, if you want to feel the breath of the island, you better visit the food. And, if you still want to soak up more of the Polynesian culture, we recommend the Museum of Tahiti and its Islands.

You should also take an excursion through the interior of the island, where you will find some extraordinary landscapes such as the Papenoo valley, which leads to the temple of Fare hape, a sacred place for the natives. Or those of the mount aorai, from which you have stunning views of the island.

On the other hand, if you prefer the coast, you must travel the northwest, which will take you to beaches as spectacular as that of tautira and, above all, that of Teahupo'o, famous for having one of the most spectacular waves in the world.

If you are interested in archeology, you have to visit the marah of the island. They are sacred places that in pre-western civilizations had ceremonial purposes. Curiously, as with the religious sites of our Iron or Bronze Age, they were delimited with stones.

Finally, on the nearby island of Moorea Pleasant surprises await you. From Tahiti it is easily reached by ferry or plane and you cannot miss the mount Rotui, one of the most spectacular in all of Polynesia; the impressive cook bay nor whale sightings, very common on its coasts.

The Marquesas Islands, the largest in French Polynesia

They are the largest archipelago of all those that make up French Polynesia. They are grouped in Washington islands, Revolution and by Mendaña. The latter owe their name to whoever discovered them in 1595: the Spaniard Álvaro de Mendaña, who in turn baptized them as Marquesas Islands of Mendoza in honor of the then viceroy of Peru.

Even if you have not visited them, they will be familiar to you because they are the setting of some novels by Herman Melville and for having been the place of retirement of the painter Paul Gaugin. The largest of these islands is Nuku Hiva, where the capital is, Taiohane.

However, the Marquesas have had much less tourist success than others in Polynesia. Thanks to this, they have preserved many of their virgin territories until today. Regarding its nature, it has little to do with the placid lagoons with turquoise blue waters of, for example, Bora Bora. The Marquesas are mountainous and rugged lands with lush vegetation and coastal cliffs that end in black sand beaches.

Perhaps the absence of mass tourism has also led the inhabitants of the Marquesas to have better conserved their territories than other territories. polynesian customs. It is a perfect place for you to see the haka or ritual dances and so that you know their crafts and visit their archaeological remains. Particularly curious are their tiki, some large human-shaped statues that could be related to the moai from Easter Island.

Finally, about thirty kilometers from Nuku Hiva you have the island of Ua pou, where its spectacular basaltic columns of great height that give it an aspect of mystery.

Easter Island, to finish our tour of Polynesia

Rapa Nui or Easter Island is probably one of the most popular tourist destinations in Polynesia. Therefore, nothing better than to finish our tour of this geographical area there.

Lost in the Pacific Ocean, almost four thousand kilometers from the American continent and as many from Tahiti, if mysterious We speak, Rapa Nui has them all. Worldwide known are its moai, those peculiar statues that reproduce human heads.

When its ancient inhabitants arrived on this lost island and how they created these colossal effigies are unknown. But it is known that they had ceremonies like that of the bird-man and that they developed a hieroglyphic script called rongo rongo. It is also estimated that moai they stopped being built around the XNUMXth century. However, the entire island is full of them, not just standing, many lying down because they ended up falling. But the best places to see them are rano raraku, tongariki o Ahu akivi. In the latter, the effigies also have the singularity of being looking at the sea.

But these figures are not the only attraction on Easter Island. We also advise you to see the ceremonial village of orongo, where, apparently, the kings were chosen and that has some strange petroglyphs; the precious Anakena beach and, of course, Make Long, the small capital of the island, in whose church of the holy cross you can see several figures of Christian saints but carved in the style of their own moai.

In conclusion, we end here the trip that we have proposed to you through the Polynesia. We have told you about some of its best places. But you can also choose to make your trip to others like the Kingdom of Tonga, where you can see the trilito of Ha'amonga'a, known as "The Stonehenge of Polynesia"; Tuvalu, where they have their particular sport, the I yearn you, or the popular ones Fiji islands. Neither of these places will disappoint you either.